June 07, 2007

In the past three years a coffee shop culture has taken off in Karachi, with a host of cafés sprouting here and there. Most primarily serve an assortment of finger goods, desserts and, of course, a variety of coffee. If you are a frequent café-goer, you are bound to see the same people talking about the same things (most cafes are cramped for space, making them perfect eavesdropping spots). Some of the current spate of cafes have newspapers and magazines lying around, as well as free wi-fi.

The Second Floor (T2F) is the latest in coffee house — but with a difference. It doesn’t boast oversized couches, dim lighting or yellow walls. It has a more real life atmosphere, with bright lighting, tables and chairs that one usually sees in cafeterias.

The décor is interesting and perhaps conveys the spirit behind it. One of the walls has a mural painted by Asim Butt, which explores the themes of masculinity with an array of vivid colours; the other two walls are dedicated to exhibitions — by graphic designers and photographers. According to Sabeen Mahmud, the founder, exhibitions will be held on a monthly basis.

What is also promising about the café is attention to detail — something that is severely lacking in most resturants — to the menu, the pin-up boards. After all, isn’t that the reason why people frequent coffee shops? The fare offered consists of snacks such as quiches, sandwiches, which are of the more wholehearted variety rather than pretentious crepes et al, and are prepared by popular vendors, although this may change in the future.

As for coffee, it could be improved, given that latte and iced coffee weren’t quite up to the mark. Both lacked the aroma and that quintessential coffee taste vital ingredients that Karachiite have got used to over the last few years as a result of other popular cafés opening up which now have a regular clientele. The price ranges from Rs100-125 for coffee. The good part is that one is not pressured into giving multiple orders.

The restaurant has its own website, www.t2f.biz, along with a blog that is already being frequented by the visitors. It is here that they comment on what they like and what they don’t. Their suggestions are responded to on the blog. Besides, it also features a bookshop, which at this point, carries a variety of tomes: from JD Salinger’s cult classic The Catcher in the Rye to Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s Nuskha-ha-e-Wafa; From Purdah to Parliament by Shaista Suhrawardy Ikramullah to Tarun Tejpal’s The Alchemy of Desire. Some of the copies of the novel have been signed by Tejpal.

One shelf is full of books that are just meant for browsing, providing the lone soul with something to do (in addition to merely surfing the web, thanks to the free wi-fi). The purchased books are given to the buyers in a recycled-paper bag, displaying the café’s commitment to tree-hugging.

The atmosphere promotes interaction between visitors something that is lacking in Pakistan where social interaction is, for the most part, limited to the people you went to school with or whom you work with. The eatery, it seems, encourages people to come in to spend some time there and not necessarily in company. The management also provides a platform where people can interact with one another.

The proprietor asserts on the website: “Coffeehouse tradition is all about sparking conversations -–– and we’re passionate about providing a platform for people to engage with each other. Our society is insular and inhibited and we intend to break that mould. Through regular events such as poetry readings, book signings, workshops, talks, debates, film screenings, unplugged music sessions, and stand-up comedy, we hope to get people to think, question, and take action.”

The idea behind this café is not your run-of-the-mill coffee shop or bookshop; a challenge that the café has set itself out to meet. A coffee house, a bookshop and a venue for creative expression and discourse… “The restaurant will be a constantly evolving space that feeds the body, mind, and soul.” Quite a bit on their platter, you’d say.